1. Newton’s third law pg. 23 in NB
This lesson introduces Newton's third law: Every force belongs to an action/reaction pair of forces which are equal in magnitude, opposite in direction, and always act on different objects. Newton’s first and second laws explain the effect of forces on a single object. The third law is a law of interaction; it explains how objects put forces on each other.

2. Objectives Physics terms
Calculate the effect of forces on objects, including the nature of force pairs between objects.
Explain why action and reaction forces do not cancel each other out.
Correctly draw reaction (or action) forces on free-body diagrams.
action
reaction
force pair
The lesson objectives describe what the student should know or be able to do upon completion of the lesson.

3. Forces come in pairs
In your everyday life you can observe that forces always occur in pairs.
Consider throwing a ball.
What force moves the ball?
These first slides try to tap into students’ experience with forces in their everyday lives.

4. Forces come in pairs
Your hand exerts a force on the ball – that is the action force that causes the ball to accelerate.
The ball exerts an equal and opposite reaction force back against your hand.

5. Forces come in pairs
So do you feel the reaction force of the ball on your hand?
If our tennis ball was covered in prickly material or was much heavier, the reaction force would be easier to detect.
Probably not.
Can the students think of other examples in which they have put a force on an object and realized that a force acted back on them. The recoil of a gun or cannon is another possible example to mention. Or ask the students “what would happen to an astronaut on a space walk if he or she threw a hammer?”

6. Action and reaction forces
Forces always come in pairs.
If one object puts a force on a second object, the second object always puts an equal and opposite force back on the first object.
Action
Reaction
Point out that to understand the motion of a SINGLE object, the student doesn’t need the third law. We need the third law to understand how objects put forces on each other. We need the third law when we need to understand more than one object.

7. Action and reaction forces
Newton’s third law: For every action (force) there is always an equal and opposite reaction (force). Newton’s third law deals with the force interactions between different objects. The force pairs are always the same kind of force.
Action
Reaction
Point out that to understand the motion of a SINGLE object, the student doesn’t need the third law. We need the third law to understand how objects put forces on each other. We need the third law when we need to understand more than one object.

8. Same kind of force Possible action reaction pairs:
normal force and normal force
gravity force and gravity force
electric force and electric force
friction force and friction force
tension force and tension force
Ask the students “Can the reaction force to the force of gravity ever be a normal force?” NO!

9. An example A tennis racquet hits a tennis ball.
At the instant of impact, what are the action and reaction forces?
Action 
Reaction

10. An example Action: racquet pushes on ball.
Reaction: ball pushes back on racquet.

11. An example
A person stands on a bathroom scale. The scale measures a force.
What are the action-reaction forces involved with the person & the scale?

12. Force Pair # 1 Normal Forces
The scale pushes up on the person.
The person pushes down on the scale— causing the reading.
Person pushes down on scale: scale pushes up on person. Students sometimes erroneously think that weight and normal force are an action/reaction pair because they are often equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. It is important for students to realize that these are not the only criteria to consider.

13. Force Pair # 2 Gravitational Force
The Earth pulls down on the person: this is the force of weight (gravity).
Its reaction partner is the person pulling up on the Earth!
Earth pulls on person (with the force of gravity, aka weight). Person pulls on Earth

14. Force Pair # 2 Gravitational Force
So if we pull up on the Earth, why don’t we feel it?
A person’s mass is so small that the reaction force hardly affects the planet.
But it could if it was larger (i.e. if we were planet sized)!
The force exerted by the person is AS BIG as the force exerted by the Earth. But the mass of the Earth is so much larger that the EFFECT of this force is negligible.

15. Example (cont.) Free Body Diagrams
Free Body Diagram for forces acting on the person
Free Body diagram for forces acting on the scale

16. Real World Force Pairs
The Earth puts a gravitational force on the Moon that keeps it from flying out of its orbit.

17. Real World Force Pairs
The Moon’s mass is large enough that it does move the Earth. How does it impact the Earth?
The Moon puts an equal and opposite gravitational force back on the Earth.

18. The third law Recap
ALL forces come in pairs. These pairs of forces are always:
equal in magnitude.
opposite in direction.
acting on different objects.
acting simultaneously.
the same kind of force.
This slide summarizes the key ideas of the lesson. Tell the students that this is often a good and useful question to ask themselves about any given force they might be dealing with: “What is the reaction force?”

19. Homework # 1 Is every force part of an action-reaction pair?
What about this apple? This apple is in free-fall. Nothing is touching it. It’s accelerating downward at 9.8 m/s2. Is there a reaction force?

20. Homework # 2
2. A 2.0 kg cart on a frictionless track collides with a 1.0 kg cart at rest. During the collision the 2.0 kg cart exerts a 10 N force on the 1.0 kg cart.
What is the resulting acceleration of the 1.0 kg cart?
What is the force on the 2.0 kg cart during the collision?
What is the resulting acceleration of the 2.0 kg cart?
This first assessment is keyed to the first objective: Calculate the effect of forces on objects, including the nature of force pairs between objects.
The answers appear on the next slide.

21. Homework # 3
3. Newton’s third law states that forces come in pairs that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. Frank says that the net force on every object must actually be zero, because these force pairs will add up to zero. Why is Frank wrong?
This second assessment is keyed to the second objective: Explain why action and reaction forces do not cancel each other out.
A possible answer appears on the next slide.

22. Homework # 4
4. A cyclist is exerting a force on the pedals of a bicycle, which in turn exerts forces against the ground.
What are the action and reaction forces where the cyclist’s foot meets the pedal?
What are the action and reaction forces where the bicycle tire meets the road?

23. Homework # 5
True or False: When you’re standing on the floor, your weight pushing down & the floor pushing back up on you is an accurate action-reaction pair.